Cyprus and Serbia have agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the field of standardization, setting out a series of joint initiatives focused on sustainability, digital resilience and innovation, following a meeting between senior officials of their national standardization bodies in Ayia Napa.
The meeting brought together representatives of the Cyprus Organization for Standardization (CYS) and the Institute for Standardization of Serbia (ISS) and was held on June 17 on the sidelines of the Annual Meeting of the European standardization organizations CEN and CENELEC, hosted by CYS during Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The discussions followed a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two organizations in 2023 and focused on defining practical steps for implementing their strategic partnership.
According to a joint statement, the cooperation will concentrate on several priority areas, including sustainable finance, circular economy, net-zero transition planning, greenhouse gas emissions verification and certification, cybersecurity, digital resilience, and capacity building in standardization.
The two organizations also agreed to expand cooperation through training programs, educational seminars, knowledge-sharing initiatives and the exchange of technical expertise and best practices. Opportunities for participation in European Union-funded projects and initiatives were also explored.
Particular emphasis was placed on strengthening the role of standardization in supporting innovation, competitiveness, sustainability and economic growth, while improving stakeholder engagement across industry, public administration and academia.
CYS and ISS further discussed closer collaboration within European and international standardization frameworks, including CEN, CENELEC, ETSI, ISO, IEC and ITU, with the aim of promoting wider adoption and effective implementation of standards.
The strengthened partnership is seen as a significant step in enhancing bilateral relations between Cyprus and Serbia, while contributing to quality improvement, sustainability, innovation and resilience in both countries’ economies and societies.